REMEMBRANCES IN THE LATTER RAIN
by GoldAngel2
Summary: My first attempt at GGundam fiction this is an elaboration on a scene in episode 46


_Author's note: This is my first G Gundam story, based on a scene in episode 46. It's actually Domon's thoughts, as I perceived them when he was sitting on Han's boat in the rain, right after Rain's departure to the colony with her father. After his collapse on the dock, I saw his agony and this was the result. I do not own the characters, they are the property of Bandai, Sunrise, and the Sotsu Agency. _

**REMEMBRANCES IN THE LATTER RAIN**

It was raining, pouring actually, torrents in sheets from moisture-laden clouds throwing their burden to the partially destroyed city in Neo-Hong Kong. The relentless drops were pelting the junks docked in the harbor and everybody in the vicinity had sought shelter from the storm. The city was unusually quiet, the activity from the last days over, the Gundam Fights fought, completed and a new champion crowned. But instead of basking in the glow of his hard won victory, Domon Kasshu sat disconsolately on the deck of the junk belonging to his friend Han. The sage old man and his two precocious grandchildren Hoi and Min had opened their boat and hospitality to the moody fighter from Neo-Japan and his lovely partner and childhood friend, Rain Mikamura when they first arrived for the tournament.

Domon was drenched, his red cape hanging heavy on him, rain-soaked and clammy. His raven black hair was drenched as well and hung in heavy, unruly clumps, tied back with a red sash but yet he sat in the deluge, not noticing or even caring. The weather fit his mood, dark, gloomy and inhospitable. For although he would never admit and would vigorously deny it, he was heartbroken, his newly won title tasting bitter in his mouth.

The day before, he had won the 13th Gundam Fight Tournament, having defeated his teacher, Master Asia the former champion and former King of Hearts who was laid to eternal rest, dying in Domon's arms as he left his final words. Master Asia had been so much more to the young man then just a teacher, he had been a surrogate father to him, taking and turning him into a martial artist worthy of the crest, King of Hearts, which was passed on to him. But Master Asia's misguided intentions toward humankind had driven him to the Dark Gundam and he became consumed by the inherent evil of the creation that had become relentless in its quest to destroy man. He had first tried to destroy his pupil in the Guyana Highlands and then in an unholy alliance with Prime Minister Wong Yun Fat but his ambitions came short as the Dark Gundam was destroyed by that same pupil using the very techniques that he himself had taught, that had made him the King of Hearts. Master Asia had also used his body's last strength as well in the battle and he died in Domon's arms.

His anguish still fresh from that tragedy, Domon had accompanied his Burning Gundam in the victory parade down the main street, going through the motions as his heart grieved yet another loss suffered in this battle, the loss of his beloved mentor. He was in the midst of a cheering crowd, roaring their approval and praising his accomplishment but he felt alone and lonely, not even hearing them. Commissioner Karato had joined him to congratulate him on winning the title for Neo-Japan and the honor of their nation to rule the universe for the next four years and being so elated, promised Domon the release of his cryogenically imprisoned father. But Domon turned abruptly away, not able to stand the hypocrisy any longer. His victory in the tournament had been hard won but costly, the entire eleven month struggle that he engaged in with such fervor now seemed futile and pointless. His brother Kyoji was dead, his body destroyed with the Dark Gundam, his mother long gone. His father was the only one left. His mind was teeming with the weight of the losses and of the words that master Asia had imparted on him as he gave his last breath of the needless destruction wrought by all fights and all wars. So Domon ran to find the one person that always seemed to bring him peace and made him able to think clearly and rationally, who helped him make sense out of the mudded mess of his life, Rain.

As he sprinted toward the hospital, the last place he had seen and talked to her, Domon spoke to Rain in his mind _Rain. It's over now, Rain. It's all over. I'm coming to get you, so please wait for me. _He came across the battered and abandoned Walter and Rising Gundams and hesitated as he idly wondered again who it had been who piloted the alternate gundam from Neo-Japan and freed him during the battle from fighting Allenby to concentrate on defeating the Dark Gundam. Domon then continued his journey toward the hospital. He proceeded to rush there and could not help but relive the last time he had spoken to Rain. . . .

It had been right outside the hospital and they had both been denied access to see the badly beaten Schwartz Bruder who had revealed himself to be Kyoji, Domon's estranged and believed dead older brother. Rain had just promised Domon that she would use her status as a doctor to get in to see him and find out if he truly was Kyoji.

_They were under a tree by the hospital entrance and Domon had cast his eyes _

_toward Lantau Island and the Battle Royale awaiting in the distance. He had just_

_told her that it was time for him to leave. He turned back and was surprised to_

_see Rain in tears, pressing herself against his chest and deep inside he felt the_

_stirrings of the love for her he had first felt for her at the Guyana Highlands. Their _

_relationship had subtly changed then and had built up in both of them until they _

_had had the falling out before his fight with Schwartz Bruder and she had resigned. _

_It was Schwartz that made her his crew member then and Schwartz that pointed _

_out to him what he had known since Shinjuku, that he and Rain were united in battle _

_and in their hearts and they were invincible. She had begged him to return to her _

_alive and then he had told her that when the fighting was over he had something _

_important that he needed to tell her. He then asked for her to wait for him while_

_he went off to the battle. _

Domon sighed, was all that just yesterday? Or two days ago? His being was so shell-shocked by the events that had occurred he could hardly figure out the day or even cared. For he was completely and utterly alone now, everyone who ever was precious to him was gone. His mother, his father, his brother, Master Asia, and now…Rain.

When Domon arrived at the hospital calling for Rain, anxious to share his heart with her now that the fighting was over, Allenby met him in the hall, weakened from her battle. He rushed to the female fighter who had become a close friend and found out that the gentle girl he loved and told to wait for him had actually been at Lantau Island, in the midst of the battle. She had piloted the Rising Gundam and she had fought Allenby who was under the control of a DG driven Berzerker system. Rain had then brought the fighter from Neo-Sweden to the hospital to save her from the DG cells. After telling him all that, Allenby then said the words that made his heart drop_—"Rain's gone and she said she'll never see you again."_

Domon then ran blindly, desperately to the dock to stop her, all the while talking to her _Don't go Rain, please! _He got to the harbor and undaunted by the armed Neo-Japan guards made his way to the dock where with a sinking heart he saw the Neo-Japan mobile transport fleet airlifting the Dark Gundam, on its way to the colony. The gundam fighters from Neo America, Neo France, Neo Russia, and Neo China, members of the Shuffle Alliance were watching the operation with perplexed expressions as they wondered why Neo-Japan would want the damaged gundam and then witnessed as their friend, Domon Kasshu collapsed, crying for the loss of his partner and love. Feeling his pain, his Shuffle allies and friends surrounded him as he shed tears again and he experienced yet another agonizing loss.

Domon sighed heavily as he stared at the driving rain. Rain…Rain…it was ironic that the petite girl with the cinnamon hair who was named for the product of the scudding dark clouds had eyes the color of a cloudless, midsummer sky, eyes he wanted to lose himself in. He would never admit it to her and just recently began to believe it himself but she was the source from which flowed his serenity. Her voice was like music to his senses and her bright mind a beacon in the darkness that consumed him. Yes, she was locked deep in his heart for she had been a constant to him these eleven months while he was filled with hate and driven by revenge, even when he brusquely snapped at her or stupidly cast her aside.

Domon felt the sting of fresh tears, running past his lashes and mixing with the droplets from the downpour that were running down his countenance as he heard Allenby's words echoing in his ears. She told him of Dr. Mikamura being in her room treating her to cure the effects of the DG cells that had almost claimed her, dragged away by the Neo-Japan MPs and Rain deciding to accompany her father, saying that her father's crimes were her crimes since she was appointed by him as Domon's partner, to keep an eye and report back. Allenby recounted how Rain had felt like a hypocrite, partnered with Domon while being elemental in the cold and cruel way their nation used him. He closed his eyes as he remembered whirling from Allenby to get to the dock to talk to Rain, to convince her that he didn't think of her that way and then bursting past the armed guards just to see the mobile fleet rising up into the stratosphere, taking Rain farther and farther away. Domon felt his heart constrict in pain as he relived the sight in his mind's eye.

She had been his lynchpin and now she was gone. She had been the rod that kept him grounded when he was struck repeatedly by obstacles, like lightning bolts stabbing at him from the sky, but now…

She was gone.

Remembrances of the past year flashed in Domon's mind…

Neo-Canada when the fight between Lumber and Bolt gundams had led to her life being in danger. Domon had pushed Rain away yet again as she tried to get him to rest, he wanted only to fight Andrew Graham, Neo-Canada's gundam fighter. But Graham wanted only to slake his thirst for revenge against Argo Gulskii, pilot of Neo-Russia's Bolt Gundam who he blamed for the death of his wife and when Domon had refused to give him information on the Bolt Gundam, he kidnapped Rain. During the battle with Argo, Domon rushed to get between them when he heard Rain's voice, trying to talk sense into Andrew so in fury he attacked Lumber's cockpit to rescue her and then Shining Gundam fell to the rushing rapids below. Domon had watched in horror as the cliff below Andrew crumbled, causing Lumber Gundam to hang on as Bolt Gundam sought to land the final blow. He screamed and begged Argo to not hurt her, not knowing at the time the depth of his feelings, willing to give him the head of his gundam, sacrificing his quest to get to the 13th tournament to save her life.

Then, in Neo-Turkey when Rain's tender heart saw a former love in agony, under attack from DG cells that had him hunted by his government and practically incapacitated so she stayed with him and treated him with her gentle healing hands. Domon remembered feeling the sting of jealousy as he watched her ministrations toward Saette and even more when upon discovering Saette's gundam and saw in the cockpit a snapshot of him and Rain. He entered into a gundam fight with the DG cell infected Saette and Rain intervened as he had Domon down and was ready to sever Shining Gundam's head. Domon then returned the favor but he did it under duress, only her request to spare Saette keeping him from destroying him. Later, when he asked her if she would stay behind with Saette, Rain, loyal as always refused, saying that it was time for her to return to being his partner.

His partner….she was never more that then in Shinjuku when the Dark Army attacked the already beleaguered and besieged city. Rain had wanted to accompany him down to investigate the subway tunnel but he had sent her back to the gundam, thinking her safer there. Later, Domon was surprised, then dismayed as his trusted master, Master Asia, was attacking him, enraged by his meddling as he tried to use the Dark Gundam to further his plans. Domon then saw as Shining Gundam fell, collapsing the tunnel further and he then he saw Rain in her mobile trace suit, knocked out cold from the fighting she had done to get to him. Then came the first of many battles with Master Asia and the Dark Gundam. Domon had ordered Rain to leave in the core lander but she refused and stood side by side fighting with him. After the battle, he held Rain exhausted and unconscious in his arms thinking how truly blessed he was to have her.

Then, the training in the Guyana Highlands was where he began to realize just how much he was beginning to depend on Rain and how deeply in his heart she had become entrenched. She again fought against the Dark Army as she tried to bring Shining Gundam to him as he called it to join Schwartz Bruder in battle against Master Asia. His Shuffle comrades, who made sure that Shining Gundam was delivered safely to his hands, had accompanied her. He had scooped her up and cradled her in his arms as he whispered his thanks just as Master taunted and goaded him into battle. The battle took its toll on Rain who was stricken with a fever, yet even weakened as she was she still insisted on repairing the worse-for-wear Shining Gundam. Deeply worried for her, Domon offered to assist her any way he could. As she did the necessary repairs and finished, she fainted, the fever overtaking her. A chill clutched at his spine as Domon felt the first real fear he had experienced in a long time, whatever the lost battles and skirmishes he would experience, he couldn't lose her. He began to realize then that he loved Rain…

Shining Gundam was fixed and Domon then handed a still unconscious and feverish Rain to Nastasha, neo-Russia's team commander who assured him that Rain would be safely transported to Neo-Hong Kong and the tournament. He continued battling with Master Asia, who was relentless in his desire to not only vanquish but humiliate his former student. Deadline to arrive at the tournament was drawing near and then the penultimate battle between him and Master Asia took place which resulted in the destruction of both Master and Shining Gundam. Monitoring the battle from above, Major Urube sent down the new Burning Gundam to him but he couldn't get it going. Then he heard her voice calling to him…

"_Domon!"_

"_Rain!" He looked around and then saw the badly damaged Shining Gundam _

_inch slowly toward him. He puzzled about how the gundam, which was slightly _

_more than a pile of twisted metal could be able to come to him. Then he heard_

_her again._

"_Domon, give me your hand, I'm transferring Shining Gundam's battle data to _

_you,"_

_He realized that Rain was using her thoughts through her brainwave device to _

_will Shining Gundam over to him. "Rain.."_

"_Domon, they're all waiting for you. All those who are dear to you." Shining/Rain _

_crept closer and closer until the two gundams clasped hands._

"_I've never felt so dear to you as I do now." _

_Rain's sweet declaration had him mesmerized as he imagined her clasping hands _

_with him. "Oh Rain.."_

The data transfer energized Burning Gundam as once again, Rain provided the support for him to keep on, in spite of Master Asia's continued attacks. But this time, he slapped at his former teacher as one would slap away an annoying gnat and began to make his way to Neo-Hong Kong where all those that were important, _were dear_ to him were waiting…

Especially her.

All of them, George, Chibodee, Sai Saici, and Argo, his Shuffle Alliance partners and friends, Dr. Mikamura, the Neo-Japan officials, and….

Rain.

Domon's eyes focused on the petite form in the shrimp pink dress and white boots as he streamed to the dock and then arriving just at the final second, landed. He exited the cockpit to greet the one person waiting his arrival there he drove so hard to see most.

Domon sighed deeply as the rain continued to pelt him. He stared out, numbed by the cold of the water and the pain of being abandoned, etching icy fingers deep in his soul. The tournament was finally over, the dreams and hopes of fighters either lost or realized and the stench of so many losses still fresh in his nostrils. The Dark Gundam was finally defeated, Kyoji was dead, Master Asia had breathed his last breath, and now he was champion…but…

She was gone.

**END**


End file.
